To get compensation, a person must be a victim of a certain kind of crime.
In some cases, a witness to a crime may be eligible for compensation. Family members of victims can also qualify.
On this page:
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for compensation, victims must be:
- A California resident at the time of the crime, or
- A non-resident victimized in California.
The crime must involve:
- Physical injury,
- Threat of physical injury,
- Death, or
- Emotional injury, in some cases.
Victims must:
- Cooperate with police and court officials to arrest and prosecute the offender
- Exceptions may apply
- Cooperate with CalVCB staff
- Not have been involved in events leading to the crime.
- Not have committed a felony at the time of the crime
- File the application within time limits. These are:
- Within seven years of the crime, or
- Seven years after the direct victim turns 21 years of age, or
- Seven years from when the crime could have been discovered, whichever is later.
- Some applications filed later than this may be considered. File a Late Consideration Form if that is the case.
Kinds of eligible victims
Direct victim
A direct victim is the individual who is the victim of a qualifying crime. Sometimes a witness to a crime is considered a direct victim.
Derivative victim
A derivative victim is an individual with a relationship to a direct victim who has expenses or needs services because of that person’s injury or death. This can be a:
- Spouse
- Parent
- Sibling
- Child
- Grandchild
- Grandparent
- Domestic partner
- Roommate
- Caretaker of a minor victim, after the crime
Good Samaritan
A Good Samaritan is someone who took a direct action that benefited the public. This includes preventing a crime or rescuing a person in immediate danger.
To be reimbursed, use the Application for Good Samaritan Compensation.
Crimes covered
Crimes covered by CalVCB include but are not limited to:
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Battery
- Child abuse
- Child sexual assault
- Child endangerment and abandonment
- Domestic violence
- Driving under the influence
- Elder abuse
- Hate crimes
- Homicide
- Human trafficking
- Hit and run
- Kidnapping
- Murder
- Online harassment
- Rape
- Robbery
- Sexual assault
- Stalking
- Sexual battery
- Terrorism
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Other crimes that result in physical injury or a threat of physical injury to the victim
For some crimes, victims may be eligible for compensation for emotional injury alone. These crimes include:
- Child abandonment
- Child abduction
- Neglect
Who is not eligible
- Those who committed the crime
- Those who were involved in the events leading to the crime
- Those who committed a felony at the time of the crime
- Exceptions may be considered
- Those who do not cooperate with police and the court in the investigation, arrest, and trial of the person who committed the crime
- Exceptions are considered, like in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, or human trafficking